Island

I actually interviewed Claudio about this record. And he said that this record is very personal, particularly involving things surrounding his life at the moment.

I get the feeling that Claudio is referring the Island to be his own fictional world of The Amory Wars in his music. His ‘Island’ is where he hides himself in his music, so when he writes a conceptual album, all of the tracks link up to the series, but at the same time, there’s another meaning behind each Coheed song, if you think about it. A meaning that’s interpreted in a way that only he can interpret. He’s telling himself in this song to “get off the Island, and swim back to shore”, in which case, he’s telling himself to now face the real world with his music. He’s afraid of what’s out there, away from his Island, and while he feels safe there, there’s something great waiting for him on the other side. So, now that he’s sort of exposed himself, he’s become vulnerable, but he knows that he shouldn’t worry about what’s going to happen now, and just go through with his new life. Now that he has become a parent, he now has to live a life with more responsibility.

This is just my interpretation, of course, but it seems a little accurate to me. I personally love this record a lot, and this song as well. Probably my most favourite off The Color Before The Sun. This song also holds a personal meaning to myself in my life as well.

The basic meaning would just be about moving to the city and not knowing if it was worth it or not compared to the house he was in.

"When the fee is too big, our apartment's too small"

Sorry, Claudio, I could've told you that. Welcome to Brooklyn. :P

I agree that the island can be a metaphor of his comfort zone, or the way he had used to write music in the past, but the song also has a more literal meaning which is getting off the Island of Manhattan.

At the beginning you can hear the actual voice from the train (the 2 train going to Brooklyn, in other words, out of Manhattan). He says the fee is too big and the apartment is too small, something that anyone living in Manhattan (myself) can relate to. Of course that's just one reason, he can also be just overwhelmed by the small spaces, crowded streets, noise, and a long etc.

He also says that it was his choice so he clearly might have thought that living in Manhattan was a good choice but now he's regretting it.

Finally, if he's getting out of Manhattan intro Brooklyn, technically he wouldn't be "swiming back to shore" because Brooklyn is in Long Island, but that I take as a metaphor of going from a turbulent life to a more calm environment where he can actually rise a child with more confidence.

My two cents!

This is about the Friend Zone... Every verse can be linked up to the Friendzone, "I’m just a victim Of unfortunate circumstance And this was my choice So shit, well I’ll be damned" specially this one..